By my two-minute Google research, Angelina Jolie has been in The Netherlands twice before to visit the International Criminal Court in The Hague. In 2009 and 2011, she flew to the Netherlands to watch ongoing war crimes trials. She later told media outlets that she was doing research, and that she wanted to see the ICC in action. And now she’s back at The Hague to watch Congolese warlord Thomas Lubanga’s conviction:
Angelina Jolie isn’t one to miss a history-making moment. The actress, director and UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador, 36, arrived in Amsterdam, The Netherlands on Tuesday with daughters Zahara, 7, and Shiloh, 5, for a lowkey visit that had nothing to do with a splashy film premiere.
Instead, Jolie sat in the public gallery Wednesday morning for the first-ever verdict at the International Criminal Court in The Hague, 10 years after it opened.
After 200 days in court, vicious Congolese warlord Thomas Lubanga was finally convicted of kidnapping and recruiting young children — forcing them to become child soldiers to fight for Congolese rebel sources.
“This is their day,” Jolie said in a statement. “Where these children will feel there is no impunity for what happened to them, for what they suffered.”
“Angelina was very low key,” an onlooker at the Hague tells Us Weekly. “She came in almost unnoticed to watch the verdict and left right afterwards.”
The case of 51-year-old Lubanga could set a precedent for Uganda guerilla warlord Joseph Kony, currently the subject of a huge, celeb-supported viral campaign aimed at bringing him to justice.
Over the weekend, Jolie was by love Brad Pitt’s side in New Orleans for his Make It Right Foundation’s huge, star-studded bash.
[From Us Weekly]
So that’s where Angelina, Shiloh and Zahara were headed the other day – Angie took her girls to The Hague! Interesting. Angelina spoke to reporters once again as she left the court:
I’m glad that Angelina cares enough to show up. I have mixed feelings on the ICC, simply because it seems like such a legal and political clusterf–k to try to pour these enormous crimes against humanity into a court case. I know I’m not saying it the right way, but do you know what I mean? It feels like the rule of law is standing in the way of real justice.
Photos courtesy of Fame/Flynet.
Why is she always so greasy and shiny? Too much drugs and alcohol or what?!
OR, she needs a better moisturizer. One that won’t leave her so shiny looking. Could be she has oily skin and or sweats a lot in the face.
@Lizbet. I hear ya but she’s a huge international star so it’s pretty much par for course. Can you imagine being her and having every single thing you do and say be under a microscope? Love her but I wouldn’t want to be her for the world.
Drugs and alcohol dehydrate the skin. I think you sound a bit silly.
Well, dehydrated skin can cause an over-production of oil.
…But seriously, c’mon.
Too much moisturizer?
Oily skin?
Bad lightning?
Bad makeup artist?
Being human?
On one hand, I really like Angelina as a person and appreciate that her devotion to her causes seems quite genuine and informed. On the other hand, it seems like a shame that she steals the headlines from actual events so that the thing people comment on is presence rather than the event itself.
That said, I agree that the ICC is a legal and political orgy of jurisprudence, and I hope all goes smoothly with these trials, or hell will be on hand for payment.
I disagree, how many people on here today would have read about the War Crimes trial at the Hague? By her being there, yes it draws attention to her, but it also draws attention to the trial that many would have never heard of.
Okay, I’ll buy that argument. And, as someone else said, the wires aren’t reporting her presence anyway. Good point.
on the one hand you have her, on the other Blood Diamond Naomi….
Celebrity can highlight for good and bad reasons.
*her presence
Nah, I don’t think she wears base or powder to stop the shiny. If I do not use powder or astringent my face looks like I smothered vaseline or baby oil all over it; same case I believe applies to Jolie. With alchy and drugs, you are so dehydrated that your face is dry and puffy.
Kaiser, I hope this first conviction means things will progress a bit faster through the ICC system. It’s amazing this is the first conviction.
there will be many growing pains and teething problems for the foreseeable future, but i hope that it will continue to improve.
Anyone who believes she does this out of the goodness of her heart is CRAZY
look, what does she accomplishe outside of improving her own image? seriously, think about it.
her narcissism is beyond anyone else in hollywood
Oh GMAFB. No matter what this woman does, you whine that she does it for all the wrong reasons.
WOW, people like you are the problem in this world.
Angelina has being doing this work for 10+ years, if she didn’t care she would have stopped a very long time ago.
She as accomplished a LOT. Schools have been built thanks to her, the millions she has given, the time she has given.
Go back to femalefirst where you belong!
Elle, get over yourself! This is not Just Jared where you can “thumb down” a comment that you disapprove of and have it hidden. This is Celebitchy where we are ALL entitled to our opinions! Just because some of us may not care for all Jolie does, certainly does not mean we are Female First or IUC fanatics.
Angelina is there for more than your small mind can grasp. Here’s an article on what she has done concerning this trial and situation:
Her presence at the hearing today is Ms Jolie’s fourth visit to the ICC and third appearance at the Lubanga trial proceedings. In addition to attending the testimony of a victim, a child soldier, and attending closing arguments in the case, Ms Jolie funded the Lubanga Chronicles. The Lubanga Chronicles brought news of the trial to the general public in the international community and local communities in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, through the distribution of written chronicles, short audio clips via local radio stations in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and short video clips via internet and other outlets.
http://www.icc-cpi.int/NR/exeres/99201D51-4D44-4066-9A43-0B2E6F8A2B7C.htm
‘Ms Jolie funded the Lubanga Chronicles’
All by herself?
Indra… LMAO!!
Yes, how HORRIBLE she is for taking her two eldest girls to what is basically a historical event and trying to instill in her children a sense of social responsibility. We should burn her at the stake. *eye roll*
I could of thought of many other things Angie could have done to clean-up her “So called” Bad image than what she’s been doing for the past 11 years. Especially at 25 years old.
Do you really think most 25 years old in HW are thinking about going to third world countries, refugee camps and adopting just to clean up an image?
She could have just taken the Nicole Ritchie route which many admire and applauded for cleaning up her act. Who BTW was arrested while on drugs endangering the lives of others.
Why can’t those kids just stay at one place for a few months, and catch a break?
They look pretty happy to me.
It is not just about being happy! it is about having some form of consistency in their lives. As I stated a few days ago, the jet lag on these children has got to be grueling. Not to mention, waking up every few days in a different room. That is not reality!!
@MS: Your bogus concern for the welfare of the Jolie-Pitt children is ludicrous. Next thing you’ll be calling CPS to complain she’s an unfit mother.
They’re fine. They have great parents, financial security, and they’re going on a lot of adventures. I mentioned somewhere else that they’re a lot better off than Suri Cruise, who’s always about to throw a tantrum.
I think it’s great that she is bringing this to the public notice. I believe that is why she attends these things, not only because it is important to her to be there but also because of the press she receives being there it gets it publicised to people who may not be aware of what is going on.
Thank you.
Thats why the UN ‘hired’ her.
They need a fame whore like Angie to promote their work.
(Preempting hater responses, Yes I think Jenn is a fame whore as well.)
I’m so sick and tired of people saying that she brings attention to these world issues–like we’re stupid Americans who are soley educated by Jolie’s appearances. I do not need a picture of her in a desert to know the plight of the oppressed. I read, watch the news and documentaries–if she went away tomr, I’m pretty sure I’d still know where Iraq is.
Reuters doesn’t mention AJ in its release of the verdict. It does mention though that there is little prospect of future success in trials that deal with events occurring outside Africa because major countries like China, Russia, the USA and Syria are not signatory, and thus do not have to co-operate.
I really don’t want to be mean, but virtually every major news site mentions the Lubanga verdict. It is a historical event, well publicised even without her participation. I think this time she should have just stayed home with the kids.
leave this woman alone all you jealous people.the woman is trying all she can to help many causes and all you do is critize her.instead of bashing her , try to do some good things in your life that will benefit many people.keep up the good work angie , don’t mind the haters. you are loved by your fans worlwide unconditionally.
@casey:
Your comment made me laugh so, so hard.
Why is she not allowed to go for her own interests? hmmmmm.
She can go wherever she wants.
She is interested in the issue and wanted to see it first hand.
Unlike some celebs who spend all their time tanning in Mexico and calling it charity work (ie. Aniston who said visiting a Mexican resort = charity)
Kaiser, I don’t understand why you say that the Rule of Law is getting in the way of justice here. I agree that the Rule of Law is not perfect and neither is any court including the ICC. But I think the Rule of Law is helping justice: we at least have the mechanism to bring people to a court of law who no one could get in front of a court of law before. I feel like this is headed in the right direction. Kidnapping is kidnapping and murder is murder and I don’t care whether a person is hiding behind a government, a corporation, or a church, that person should be accountable. But maybe I am missing your point?
I admire her efforts, but there’s only so many hours in a day. Makes me tired just thinking about it. Reminds me of the saying “Jack of all trades, master of none”.
I completely oppose the ICC.
It’s a nasty mixture of modern day colonialism and Westerners trying to give themselves a vicarious thrill and sense of meaning by interfering.
Here’s a radical thought: how about butting out? The people who have to live with the consequences are the only people who should have a say.
That’s also my point of view.
This should have been done in his victim’s Country or in another country of Africa.
Do you feel the same way about the Nuremberg trials?
People like Lubanga were counting on the rest of the world “butting out.” Likewise during the worst of the Bosnian war. When the rest of the world turns its back on crimes against humanity, it only emboldens other war criminals to commit more crimes.
Do not think that these trials and the possibility of getting captured and brought to justice eventually will not deter some people. It can act as a deterrent. Not for all but at least for some.
It’s hard to have a trial in your home nation when there is inadequate infrastructure or judges can be bribed or witnesses intimidated. It is interesting to read criticism of the ICC as a sort of Western colonial thing. I mean, I totally get the Western self-justifying mentality that the real bad guys and the real problems are over there, somewhere else and are not us. I agree that is a big problem. But at the same time, the biggest Western power is not even signing up (the U.S. recently got observer status, I think). So this institution could eventually decide war crimes that Western courts will not entertain. That to me is progress.
@Katherine:
“Do you feel the same way about the Nuremberg trials?”
(1) It’s a false comparison. The UK, US, France etc., were actually involved in WW2.
As you yourself said, the West wasn’t involved in the Congolese conflict. They’re just butting in to make themselves feel good.
Leave it to the Congolese. Unlike a lot of people, I think Africans are perfectly capable of running their own affairs.
(2) I’m sure it’s terribly enjoyable to get all het up about all these battles of good versus evil.
But the fact remains that every single conflict is more complex than that.
The wars in Yugoslavia were far more complex, and would have ended far sooner minus the intellectual posturing and moral masturbation from the West.
Heck, even WW2 was more complex!
http://www.amazon.com/Human-Smoke-Beginnings-World-Civilization/dp/1416567844
I’ll say it again: this is for the Congolese to work out. It is not right for Westerners to use other people as tools to make us look and feel good. Especially when we’re not going to be the ones living with the consequences.
I can see both sides of the argument. Did you ever see the documentary ‘The Fog of War’? In it Robert MacNamara the former Sec of Defense says if the Americans had lost WWII they could have faced trials for the bombings they did of Japan that most aren’t even aware happened. Statistically speaking what they did was genocidal. There were also atrocities committed on the Eastern Front by Russians upon Germans that no one ever talks about.
A war court can’t be a fair body unless and until every country is subject to it. Unfortunately the US, China, and the other big and powerful countries aren’t willing to put themselves under the rule of law. So yes what we have at times can be an unfair body that is only punishing the weaker countries. It is still better than nothing.
I support Angelina going to the court but the issues aren’t black and white. I am sure she is aware of that also. Still it is a start.
Excellent points, Katherine. Thank you for your thoughts and for having the courage to speak up. I shudder at some of the comments I’m reading, especially the ones that don’t care what happens to people in countries where the institutions have been completely corrupted because poor and vulnerable people aren’t their concern. The commenters have the luxury to log onto a celebrity gossip site and then go on about how no one should step in, simply because the commenters have theirs and that’s all that matters to them.
During WWII, Americans who thought like you were called isolationists and kept the US out of the war for several years until Pearl Harbor was bombed. If marginalized people are being abused and murdered by power hungry criminals, I don’t have any problem with another country or the UN stepping in to protect them and ensure their safety. That’s not colonialism – that’s having a conscience and caring about others. My love of my fellow human beings doesn’t stop at my border. Just saying.
(1) Any evidence that what the ICC is doing bears any resemblance to WW2 and the Holocaust?
Otherwise, it’s an intellectually lazy non sequitur. People like you are why people think Americans are stupid.
(2) WW2 was not even WW2.
In all seriousness, read the book I linked to. Just do it. “Human Smoke”, by Nicholson Baker.
A lot of lives could have been saved, and the Holocaust could have been prevented, if people hadn’t been so eager to go to war.
That’s not to protect them.
UN isn’t this nice thing they show you in Occident. Go in Africa, talk with the victim not the person they will present to you and you will understand it is more complicated.
They are very strong accusation about UN’s soldiers and prostitution/slavery/murders/rape in EVERY county they intervened. If you don’t believe me, Google and you will find it.
“It feels like the rule of law is standing in the way of real justice”
Without the rule of law you are left with exactly the horrible kind of “justice” these defendants and others extract from their victims by their wars and genocidal retributions. Or you are left with no justice at all.
THIS is how justice is achieved by civilization. There were similar complaints about the Nuremberg trials. But, yes, you can achieve a level of justice within a trial. You do what you can within the framework you have. Justice is slow because it is just as important that it be fair to the defendants as well as to the victims. Investigating, preparing and mounting a prosecution so far from the crime location and with all the other complicating factors is a monumental undertaking. From what I have seen they are to be congratulated.
This is Angelina’s FOURTH VISIT to the ICC and her THIRD VISIT to the Lubanga trial.
Besides her visits to the ICC, Angelina funded the “Lubanga Chronicles” which brought news of the trial to the general public in the international community and local communities in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, through the distribution of written chronicles, short audio clips via local radio stations in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and short video clips via internet and other outlets. This info was culled from an ICC Press Release.
No one said that this verdict wouldn’t make the news but in some measure Angelina’s attendance can work to make it more noticable by many who wouldn’t otherwise pay attention. That’s just the way the world works. I wish she had brought her girls to court. I think they are old enough to see a courtroom in action though I am not sure whether topics inappropriate for them were included in what the court read in the verdict.
Is she Australian?!? WTF I just dont get the weird accent….
“FIRST-ever verdict at the International Criminal Court in The Hague, 10 YEARS after it opened.”
TEN.
YEARS.
So is the ICC for serious, or for show?
It seems to me that a few posters are missing the point. Angelina isn’t the one PROSECUTING the case. She took her daughters to WITNESS the case, and, if the only people that should worry about injustice are those involved, then, we are ALL guilty via negligence. In this same vein, the ignorant are saying that no other life has value EXCEPT as it pertains to their own , whether, it be nation or country. NO, not all laws/courts are fair, but, to have NO laws/consequences for those who violate the basic HUMANITY of life is insane. Civilization IS intertwined with justice, else, there is no civilizing FORCE that makes us HUMAN. Maybe, the detractors should put their dislike of the individual(s) and see the issue. ALSO….If justice could have been found IN THE INDIVIDUAL COUNTRIES, then, there would have been no need for and ICC. Get it together people, your prejudices are showing.
She didn’t take her daughters with her to the court. She took them with her to Amsterdam. I saw pictures of her in the court and her children were not there. She had a nanny with her.
She was at the court last year and heard some of the testimony. She is not there as a UNHCR representative. But a citizen. Just like Clooney got to travel and nobody is questioning him. It’s called educating yourself. She is not the head of the court. She is not the prosecutor. She is someone that had the chance to see the court in action. No different then people that go to their local Court house and watch cases.
It is just beyond insane that when Angie does something people make it this dumb issue that has nothing to do with her. I don’t recall her telling anyone to support anything blindly. What she says is people should do their own research and make their own decisions. If anyone is following a celeb based on their celebrity then they are the fools. Not the celeb.
I appreciate that she is following through and going back to see what has happened since the last time she was there. How that is wrong is just I don’t know. Some people need to look into themselves because there unreasonable crazy about her is a bit scary.
Excellent comment, I agree.
She is the best.
I think that if I had her wealth and fame, I probably would be less dedicated and motivated to help others. Jolie is an inspiration and reminder that there are people with wealth who do involve themselves in things more important than just how much of a return someone can get from their latest hedge fund investment.
i for one thanks angie for making us aware on so many issues, what’s the problem? why come on here and complain about learning? angie has nothing to do with brad’s ex, why bring her up?, she has dated and been linked to so many other guys, move on. her link is about her and make-up again, go have at it.
Completely off topic but I LOVE Zahara’s boots! That kid is too cool.
I truly admire Angelina…she’s not afraid to delve into this dark, ugly side of humanity. She has wealth, beauty and fame, but instead of drinking Starbucks and shopping and simply signing checks for charity, she’s going to witness the trials of war criminals. She’s an amazing woman.
She’s a puppet and although her intentions may have been pure at a time of newly derived curiosity for other countries, I believe that has changed. It is my understanding she’s aware of the bigger picture (New World Order) and she is endorsing wars that harm people on both sides for gain of resources, control, and population reduction. She’s a propagandist of the worst kind… a celebrity. This isn’t about whether or not I like her movies or her freakin’ child’s choice in shoe attire; it’s about how a celebrity’s word influences millions into blind faith and ignorance Before any of you mock me, go read a book about what it is going on and has been for a long time and research the internet. The world may not be as you had hoped it is. She is a puppet on strings. The controllers of the world emphasis public figures like her to distract you from the bigger picture. Doesn’t it piss you off that the wool is being pulled over your eyes?
Even if there is a such thing as a NWO, does this mean that we should ignore those whom TRULY need our help just because of somebody’s else’s agenda? Shouldn’t we strive for the equality of treatment that all humans deserve? Maybe, beating this NWO at its game is to show the world that we will continue IN SPITE of their agenda. Because, despite what YOU may believe there are more of US than “them” who have a plan. Making the world a place where we can ALL contribute, if not, equally, but, fully to our own(individual)capabilities is the best way to show our strength. Secret organizations have existed as long as man has and their agendas are forced to change according to the desires of the people no matter how far into the future they plan ahead. There will always be despots, tyrants, and conspirators, but, if we do nothing there will no longer be a HUMAN RACE. So, the question becomes, what will you have, possibility of a future or none at all?
god bless you for reasoning with someone who uses the phrase NWO in a non ironic way. I am not saying that there is no corruption in the UN or the West in general but really NWO, Illuminati, Reptilians, etc etc that’s all tin foil conspiracy theory.
Cheryl fantasizes: “She’s a puppet”
Would that be a Monarch slave puppet? LOL!
Your delusion and tin hat are showing. I hope you do realize that the internet is full of ridiculous conspiracy sites that are pulling the wool over gullible eyes. You are their puppets.
So now you are accusing this woman of endorsing wars just because she decries the likes of Kony and Al-Assad? Are you going to accuse George Clooney of the same? Why the f*ck does this woman threaten you so much? Your ranting and raving says more about you, (and it’s not pretty)more than it says about Angie.
There is no plausible for reason for the exploitation of alien interaction, Illuminati, religion, etc, other than to inform or misguide; it’s not a billion dollar industry. We are living on a spinning ball in space in a relatively young galaxy frequently forgetting about how insignificant the glorification of celebrity and other media distractions are. If people want to dispel theories that is fantastic, just not on the therms of what mainstream public figures are telling you. Do your own research, take nothing for the truth and form your own opinions. It’s not about this is wrong, or that’s a scam, he’s telling the truth, no, she’s yelling. it’s about reliability! Having read and researched for yourself. I am tired of people blindly giving praise and never properly educating themselves on issues, instead just following some other person’s prerogative.
Cheryl honey, educating one’s self is a positive thing, but, IGNORING the plight of others, no matter whomever else might be involved is as great an evil as if we were DIRECTLY involved. So, which is MORE evil, doing NOTHING because someone else IS doing SOMETHING to which you do not agree,or, doing SOMETHING in an attempt to help EVERYTHING, even if someone else is trying to make sure you do NOTHING by pretending to do SOMETHING? It’s not rocket science and the world is not always black and white, or, us versus them. It is incumbent upon those whom can help, do so, even if, those who have more power only pretend for whatever their reasoning. It is a human failing that we look at another and expect them to measure up to our standards/morality. But, it is not realistic. We are HUMAN, subject to the same insecurities, failings, doubts, etc. But, we must, at least, do SOMETHING,or, it all means NOTHING.
I never said do nothing, but creating war to extinguish war will never resolve suffering. War is created to generate money for the wealthy. Why does propagating genocide have to be the only option?
“relatively young galaxy”? You are misinformed by your X-ian slave-lords. Current estimates put our galaxy at about 13 billion years old, which is about as old as the universe (this one anyway), and as such is more accurately characterized as a “relatively old galaxy”.
If this planet is any indication, however, I’ll allow it’s a “relatively unfashionable and unintelligible galaxy”.
for all those decrying the clusterf*ck that is the icc — are you aware of the most powerful country that has done everything to stymie its operation? …
of course, you aren’t.
look no further than the good old u.s. of effin a.
booyah!
Who says that removing ONE despot/tyrant requires an entire WAR. That is why we have Special Forces. Taking a page out your book, I will say, why do you think we even have Special Forces? They do the job that “moral” citizens might consider too dirty or extreme. This is not to say that I agree with the termination of an entire population, but, ONE corrupt individual…H@#$ Yeah!! There are those who are so blatant in their disregard for life that their mere existence is a hazard to those around them. Should they be allowed to continue in that vein until they tire or have accomplished their agenda? NO. Like I said, life is important, but, those who jeopardize this do NOT believe that this is so. They are dangerous and the survival of the whole should NOT be compromised by the WANTS of the individual. This is just my opinion and I have enjoyed matching wits with you today, so, no hard feelings.
“It feels like the rule of law is standing in the way of real justice”
I don’t think you can logically separate the two, unless by ‘real justice’ you mean something purely abstract. But in practice, isn’t rule of law the foundation of justice?
Also bear in mind that when one goes after a war criminal in a court of law, it’s necessary to prosecute crimes that can be most easily proven with the evidence available. Thomas Lubanga is alleged to have a role in the death of 60,000 people. That’s tough to prosecute. Conscription of minors was a winnable case.
I can understand the unease many Americans feel about the ICC, given the abundant examples of war crimes we commit globally. Accountability is verboten when the game is rigged.
Kaiser you are right about ICC being a political clusterfuc-. I, unfortunetly have first hand experience of the unfairness of the ICC for the Genocide in Rwanda. That court is corrupt to the point you cannot imagine. Some judges are appointed to service the current Rwandan president’s interests. They have no interest whatsoever in fair trials. There are criminals who should be
punished for their crimes but there are also so many innocents who’ve been sentenced to heavy unfair sentences even though it is well known that charges were fabricated, prosecution witnesses bribed to tell lies.
So yeah, it is great that Miss Jolie shows some interest on such important issues but I don’t think she understands how corrupt this UN system can be. Sorry for my poor English.
Virgule, your English was just fine, and I was glad to hear a point of view from someone with your experience, instead of the people here who idolize Jolie. George Clooney was recently saying the same thing you are, only about the country of Sudan. Thanks to the two of you for opening our eyes.